Joey Aiuppa

To better to dismantle organized crime’s alleged control over the Chicago Laborers’ Dist. Council, an unusual consent decree was jointly filed Aug. 12 by the Dep’t of Justice and LIUNA in U.S. Dist. Court. Stating that LIUNA’s failed “internal reform process” has suffered many problems removing La Cosa Nostra’s long-standing control over the CLDC, the consent decree establishes an unprecedented supervisory process.

It includes the appointment of a special monitor to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing. Thankfully, the monitor will be appointed by a U.S. Dist. Judge and not the failed “internal reform effort” — an unusually good sign. CLDC delegates voted 34-11 on Aug. 11 to accept the consent decree. CLDC oversees 21 locals, as well as pension, training and health-welfare funds valued at over $1.5 billion.

U.S. Atty. Scott Lassar said that the two-year consent decree is unusual in the context of DOJ’s four-year-old effort to erase organized crime’s …